Speaking of the Great Roland Kirk. Here's a story:
(Just put "L. Armstrong & D. Ellington recording for the First Time- on my Lenco)
Anyway, it's 1974. I decided to stay in Eugene for the Summer. I'm waliking through the UFO campus, feeling good, it's a beautiful summer day in Eugene, best place on the planet. I hear drumming. I hear chanting. To my surprise, it's comimg from Mac court, home of the Kamakazi Ducks. The doors are wide open. So I go inside and see that there is a cool pow-wow going on. Graceful, serious dancers in feathers getting down in middle court. Drumming is intense as are the dancers. Maybe 50 spectators at most. Half are relatives of the dancers.
Very cool. When the dancing stops, the announcer says: "...and in a few minutes we'll have the Roland Rahzan Kirk Band come out to end the first Hoo Haw Festival, hope ya'll enjoyed it.
I sort of rubbed my eyeys and cleaned my ears. Asked a Siuslaw lady sitting next to me if he said the Roland Rhasan Kirk band? She wasn't sure. I waited.
After about 20 minutes, some really cool hip guys come out and start setting up mics and stuff. Then, others appear on the floor and one dude, dark glasses, is in a wheel chair. Saxes, flutes, whistles, beads, rags, all kinds of things hanging over the sides of his chair. It was then I realized I'd heard correctly. They start into "You'll Never get to heaven if You Break My Heart" and I was in heavan for the next 90 minutes. The band just sent me into orbit and back. I could not believe there were so few people listening to this fantastic, music, intersperesed with stories. It is something I will never forget.
Forward to 1994. Just by chance, I have a very personal meeting with Mrs. Ken Kesey, Mr. Kesey, her companion. So, I turn to him and say, and you must be Mr. Kesey. Nice folks, very gracious.
I mention the Roland Kirk experience to them because Ken Kesey put the "annual" Hoo-Haw together. They beamed with pleasure, huge smiles! They said "you're the first and only person we've ever met who was there that day"! We had a wonderful time talking about that one day. Mrs Kesey said she had spoken to Roland's widow that very morning by phone.
I was invited to join them for dinner that evening, but...
That's my Roland story.
Now spinning the Inflated Tear.
